Riceboy Sleeps (2022) Movie Drinking Game
Take a Drink: every time somebody does something racist
Take a Drink: for delectable Korean food
Take a Drink: for 90s things (including fashion)
Do a Shot: for extremely ill-advised weed brownies
By: Henry J. Fromage (Three Beers) –
Minari hit big a few years back in its deeply felt depiction of a Korean immigrant family’s experiences trying to make a new home for themselves in North America. The period details as much as the familial drama created its sense of authenticity.
TIFF Platform Prizewinner Riceboy Sleeps ably treads some of the same ground in its depiction of a single mother (Choi Seung-yoon) who immigrates to Canada with her young son (Dohyun Noel Hwang and Ethan Hwang in young and older iterations) in search of a better life.
A Toast
Anthony Shim in his second film recreates an entire world in his reproduction of 1990s Canada and South Korea. His choice of film grain and aspect ratio alongside all of the impeccable period details could nearly convince that this is a lost film from that time, which is about as high as praise can get for an aesthetic.
The story he tells also feels realistic, as mother and son face down casual racism, sexism, and general disdain as they scramble for a foothold in this new world. Young Dohyun is as cute as a button, and older Ethan is a believable evolution, hardened and full of teenage angst, especially acting against the fiery performance from Choi as his stressed yet determined mother. Acting is what dramas like these hinge on, and this cast delivers.
Beer Two
If you’re not in the mood for a bit long, often slow indie melodrama, then I have bad news for you. The pacing can be lethargic, particularly when the characters can’t close the (intentional) distances between them and really connect, making it hard for the audience to do so as well at times.
Verdict
Riceboy Sleeps is a beautifully staged and shot familial drama that also delves into the immigrant experience.
Riceboy Sleeps moved from its triumphant reception at TIFF to the Vancouver International Film Festival, where it screened on Friday and will again on Monday.
